Sheila Vijeyarasa is a transformational mentor and spiritual teacher. She is the author of the new book, Brave: Courageously Live Your Truth.
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1) To kick things off, could you tell us a little about your career background and current role?
I have had an unconventional career. I left the corporate world as a Finance Director. I had a spiritual awakening 15 years ago and this precipitated big changes in my life.
I am the author of the new book, Brave: Courageously Live Your Truth, and I’m a Transformational Mentor and Spiritual Teacher. I also have the ability as a Medium to speak “to the other side.”
After I finished my MBA, I spent many years spiritualising my life. I studied Mediumship at the Arthur Findlay College in London, mindfulness at Esalen with Dr. Shauna Shapiro and I have immersed myself in Vedic teachings in India. I also studied with world renowned Psychic Medium James Van Praagh at the Omega Institute.
Now as a Transformational coach I incorporate a mix of spiritual wisdom, NLP and executive coaching tools to accelerate my corporate client’s performance and to guide them through big life transitions.
2) What does a day in the life look like for you? Can you take us through a recent workday?
I don’t have a typical day. I do have rituals and disciplines that ground me so I can focus and be highly productive.
My core business is mentoring. So it is important to keep my energy high for my clients. I have three full days of client sessions. Daily, I connect with nature, with either a walk or an ocean swim.
I am currently writing an Affirmation Oracle deck for my publisher, so creating space for creative output is essential. I love writing in cafes.
3) Does your current role allow for flexible or remote working? If so, how does that fit into your life and routine?
Definitely. This is important to me as I am motivated by diversity and variety. I work with people from all around the world, in different time zones. I also run retreats and workshops.
As for time management, I am constantly looking at the 2-4 week future horizon, to ensure that I am making space for self-care practices, breaks and experiences with family and friends.
As a mentor I am acutely aware that I must practice my own teachings.
4) What does work-life balance mean to you and how do you work to achieve that goal?
I subscribe to work-life harmony. I burnt myself out several times during my corporate career. Also when I started my own business, I was working day and night every day. So I was still repeating the pattern.
I now teach students to tap into their intuition. This is my daily practice. Some days I work longer hours. Some days I am more focused on rest and connection. I have learnt that work life harmony really occurs when we listen to our inner voice and what our bodies are telling us.
Goals are so important as they give me the vision to aim for. I chunk down the goal to weekly milestones. I love making lists. This does keep me mentally organised. However, I am not attached to the deadlines. These days I give myself a lot more grace.
5) In the past 12 months, have you started or stopped any routines or habits to change your life?
The past 12 months have been the busiest for my business and publishing my first book. So focus and discipline have been essential.
The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod has some powerful teachings that I incorporate into my morning. I have been meditating for 10 years now. However, my morning discipline now involves more than meditation. I add in physical movement and make space for journal reflection. This trifecta really creates the magic for a winning start to the day.
I spent the last five years of my corporate career as a C-Suite Finance Executive. Now I am a spiritual teacher and transformation mentor. I believe in both spiritual tools and mindset tools. To have vitality for a large life, we must take care of our body, mind and soul.
6) Do you have any favourite books, podcasts or newsletters that you’d like to recommend?
My good friend Marshall Dunn has a brilliant podcast called Soul Hour Podcast. His podcast provides inspirational conversations and healing wisdom to help you awaken to the full force of your true nature and step into destiny. He is an inspiring and conscious male leader.
7) Are there any products, gadgets or apps that you can’t live without?
I love my Insight Timer App. This app has such a diverse range of meditations and talks.
I teach meditation myself and guide my clients through meditations, so I love aligning with great teachers. I think we must always be students to the wisdom of those around us.
8) If you could read an interview about work-life balance by anyone, who would that be?
Definitely Jacinda Ardern, the NZ Prime Minister. Mother, leader, inspirational and calm in a crisis. I would love to hear her perspective on balance.
9) Do you have any last thoughts on work, life or balance that you’d like to share with our readers?
This quote is from Maya Angelou: “Courage is the most important of all virtues because without courage one cannot practice any virtues consistently.”
This is a core message in my book Brave: Courageously Live Your Truth. We need courage to walk towards a life that will give us great joy and peace. This often will involve the need to make uncomfortable decisions. We may need to make decisions that will disappoint friends and family close to us. To live a life authentically takes courage.
It took a lot to “come out” of the psychic closet and to honor my spiritual gifts as a medium and to speak openly about this. I had a vivid moment, when I thought, “if I keep hiding, when will this end?”
A lot of people have had a spiritual awakening during COVID-19. My practice has become so much busier, as so many people are now reaching for spiritual tools to connect with themselves and to help them get through the challenging times we are currently in.
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